Bonafide mistakes of students while submitting entrance form online can be ignored, said the court, particularly if the students belonged to areas where proper computer and internet facilities were unavailable, and more so when they had secured a seat in the entrance exam.

Justice G.S. Sistani, allowing a student from a village in Haryana to join the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Kurukshetra, has observed that bonafide mistake of the student cannot be penalised to the extent that the admission granted to him should be cancelled.

The court’s observation came while hearing a plea filed by Rohit Yadav who, while applying online for AIEEE 2012 (All India Engineering Entrance Examination) conducted by the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) filled up the wrong date of birth mistakenly. Yadav, after clearing AIEEE, secured a seat in NIT. But the institute denied him admission citing variance in date of birth.

The court observed that “on account of this mistake to debar him would amount to travesty of justice”. “The petitioner had no intention to mislead the NIT or gain any unfair advantage. The certificate from CBSE is a genuine document. Thus the petitioner cannot be debarred,” the order passed last week said.

CBSE July 2 allotted Yadav a seat in the electronics and communication branch. But during verification of the documents by the NIT, it was found that his date of birth mentioned in the online form varied with that on original date of birth certificate.

Going through the documents, NIT denied admission to him in any of the colleges despite his having succeeded in the examination and securing 75th rank. Following the rejection, he moved high court.

The high court, allowing him admission in NIT, asked CBSE that in case it was not possible to grant him admission in NIT Kurukshetra, he should be given admission in electronic and communication engineering in any of its other colleges.